What is the purpose of mock meat? Doesnt' it go against being vegatarian?!
I am not saying it is wrong either. I am just saying it is an interesting paradox.
Answers: I don't think it goes against being veggie. However, I do think it creates an intresting paradox, since a lot of faux meat products are produced by the same companies that make meat products. It seems taht you are still supportingthe industry. Actually, I guess this wouldn't apply to veggies just vegans.
I am not saying it is wrong either. I am just saying it is an interesting paradox.
Vegetarians do not eat animals.
Are there any animals in mock meats?
Yes it does. If you want meat eat REAL meat.
It depends on the person's reasons for being vegetarian. If it's for health reasons, then there's no problem with eating fake meat. If it's to prevent unnecessary deaths, then there would also be no problem. But there might be a problem if the reason for preventing deaths was out of respect for the animals' bodily integrity. While it would still be better than eating meat, it would not be very respectful to animals to eat replicas of their flesh.
In terms of ethics, this boils down to the difference between deontology and utilitarianism. Utilitarians believe that actions are only wrong if they reduce pleasure or cause pain. So on that theory, eating mock meat would only be wrong if the animals in question were able to know about it. Deontologists believe that that's not good enough: actions can still be wrong, even if they don't actually have bad consequences. For example, they would be against people who watch porn, even though they're only objectifying images of women and not the women themselves, and they'd be against people who tell racist or sexist jokes in private, even if it doesn't affect their public behaviour. On that theory, eating mock meat would be wrong in all cases that eating real meat is wrong.
Wow, who knew that there could be ethical issues around a pack of soya mince!
some of these vegetarian products existed long before the contemporary age of vegetarianism...
an example would be: the Chinese have "mock oyster" that is gluten formed into an oyster like shape... I believe it is flavored with fish sauce.
These "mock meats" have a number of advantages...they have a longer shelf life than meats, they are in fact cheaper to produce pound for pound compared to animal products...
I have used gluten "steaks", TVP granules, TVP chunks, soybean based meatless chicken & turkey rools [makes a really tasty "chicken" salad]...
Some of the "mock meat" products come closer in texture and flavor to the product they are immitating...
As meat production becomes increasingly expensive I see many of these products becoming more commonly used... not as meat substitutes but as foods in their own right.
Frankly, I don't understand it either. I've asked that question "why would vegetarians look for and crave the taste of meat?" to some posts looking for "faux meats" and have gotten negative ratings but no answers. That same problem does not occur with omnis who eat a wider variety of foods.
Um no. The purpose of vegetarianism is to not eat animals.
Eating soy/tempeh/seitan/vegetables/beans has nothing to do with eating animals.
I think the veggie products have to have a convenient shape. Like a patty that can go between two pieces of bread. So its mostly for the formation.
But i think they market it that way to help people who once ate meat substitute the veggie product more easily.
It does not go against being vegetarian because being vegetarian means that YOU are making a difference by not eating meat. It doesn't really matter what the product looks like to others.
I think the reasoning behind mock meat is probably because a lot of vegetarians who were former carnivores look for an easier transition to staying away from what they vowed to do. I know quite a few people who’ve stayed on the vegetarian side because some of their favourite foods are in meatless forms. And I also know a couple of people who have converted back to meat eating as a result of not being able to eat what they used to enjoy.
The mock meats are mostly used to transition from omni to veggie. All the flavor... none of the guilt.
Of the vegetarians I know, none of them continued to eat the mock "meats" past a month or two. I tried some of them when I first became a vegetarian, but I didn't like the way they tasted and just stuck to better tasting (and healthier) vegetarian fare.
Also, fake "meats" are popular with health nuts that still eat meat because the taste is close and there isn't as much cholesterol or saturated fat.
The purpose of mock meat is so vegetarians can have the flavor of meat without the guilt.
But...if you crave the flavor of meat..are you a vegetarian? Your body is an interesting device. Most times your brain makes you crave something because your body needs it.
It is for immoral vegetarians who think that they are moral for eating it. To be moral you must resist anything shaped like meat.
The eating of a boca burger is much different that eating a actual burger. No animal has to die in order for a boca burger to be produced. I am against the cruelty behind the production of the burger and the health concerns regarding the consumption of meat.
Since faux meat is healther( in cholesterol, saturated fat, etc) and there is no cruelty involved, than the consumption of the product is no different that eating any other vegetarian food.
I myself, liken it to a person who is watching cholesterol who switches from regular bacon to turkey bacon. Should the person avoid turkey bacon because regular bacon is high in cholesterol... no, because what they are looking for is something healthier, just the same as vegetarians are looking for a cruelty free and healthier alternative so they choose boa burgers.